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What’s your retirement personality?

Maintenance-free, peace of mind, socialization—Lantern Hill has it all!

Julia Collins

Created date

October 10th, 2014

“There’s nothing like it in the area,” says Execut

“What’s important to people entering their freedom years?” Patricia Swan asks rhetorically.

As executive director at Lantern Hill, the new continuing care retirement community coming to New Providence, N.J., next year, Swan has the answer. Three answers, in fact.

“People interested in moving to Lantern Hill fall into three categories: those who are sick of maintaining their house, people who like to plan ahead, and those who want to be involved more,” she says.

So where do you fall? Use these helpful descriptions to find out:

Tired of house maintenance

“These people are tired of shoveling snow, changing lightbulbs, mowing the lawn, replacing failing appliances,” says Swan. “They’re tired of maintaining extra bedrooms and extra stuff they don’t use. These people are looking for a maintenance-free lifestyle.”

At Lantern Hill, the inconvenience of house maintenance is a thing of the past. Round-the-clock maintenance is included in every resident’s monthly service package. Should a lightbulb go out, for example, call the general services department and a technician will arrive shortly to replace the bulb.

So forget about mowing the grass and shoveling snow. Instead, spend your valuable time exactly the way you want to.

Planning for the future

“These people are looking to the future,” Swan says. “Many of them are in the research stage of pre-retirement, but many have already retired and have realized they need a plan from both the financial perspective and the health care perspective.”

Lantern Hill’s 90% refundable entrance deposit allows residents to preserve their nest egg while living an active, independent retirement—90% of their entrance fee is returned to them or their estate when their home is reoccupied. The Residence and Care Agreement has all the details.

The other half of the financial aspect includes the monthly service package. In addition to full-time maintenance, professional landscaping, weekly housekeeping, and 24/7 security, the package includes all utilities, flexible meal plan options in Lantern Hill’s three dining venues, and use of all clubhouse amenities.

The clubhouse provides a host of activities and services just a short distance from every apartment home. With such a wealth of amenities, residents can fill their calendars with friends and events, not errands and chores.

The clubhouse will be home to a fitness center, indoor swimming pool, salon, marketplace, classrooms, library, and theater.

As a fee-for-service continuing care community, in addition to 275 independent living apartments, Lantern Hill will offer 85 residences in its continuing care neighborhood.

“So you have peace of mind that, should you ever need additional care, it’s easily available right here on campus. But you don’t have to pay for it unless you use it,” Swan says. “It’s a safety net.”

Looking for involvement

“Our final category of retirees wants to be involved more,” Swan says. “Maybe their neighborhood has changed or they just aren’t getting out as much as they used to. Either way, they want activity and friendship.”

Swan and her sales team have been holding social functions with priority list members to find out their interests. “Even before Lantern Hill opens we’re developing the backbone of community life. We’re getting ideas for groups and clubs, and people are getting to know each other through common interests.”

Next steps

If one of these descriptions fits you—or maybe all of them do in one way or another—you’re probably wondering what steps to take next. Swan says Sales Counselor Kathy Banks can answer all your questions about life at Lantern Hill.

“Schedule an education session with Kathy. She can help you work through researching and realizing your preferences,” Swan says.

Next, Swan says, join the priority list at Lantern Hill. It’s a noncommittal way to secure a place in line for an apartment home at the community for whenever you’re ready.

All it takes to join the priority list is a fully refundable $1,000 deposit and a $150-per-person nonrefundable application fee. When prospective residents submit their deposit, that date is noted as their priority list date. As apartment homes become available, the sales team gives first right of refusal to priority list members based on their joining date.

Lantern Hill began accepting priority list memberships in April, and by July, more than 300 people had joined. “We only have 275 apartment homes, so joining the priority list is imperative if you want to retire here and live at Lantern Hill,” Banks says.

“There’s nothing like it in the area,” adds Swan. “It’s a perfect fit for Union County.”

Amenities that inspire

Aside from stunning apartment homes, Lantern Hill’s clubhouse amenities are a major attraction to the community:

Fitness center. Stay in shape with state-of-the-art equipment and group classes for all levels.

Indoor swimming pool. Start your morning with laps or dive into a group aquatics class.